Britons are snapping up more than 300 cars a week from bargain motor manufacturer Dacia, which has seen sales surge by 21.1 per cent across Europe in 2013.

The manufacturer – owned by Renault – sold 260,000 motors this year in the EU compared to 215,000 in 2012, data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association showed.

Of this figure, 15,099 were sold in
Britain according to recent Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
data – this represents roughly six per cent of Dacia sales across
Europe. Considering Dacia
only launched models on these shores in January, this figure shows that
British drivers have been tempted in by the lure of bargain motoring.

Racing ahead: Dacia has seen a large growth in sales across Europe - and managed to shift more than 15,000 motors in Britain after launching here this year

Impressively, last month, Dacia saw
sales up 31.1 per cent compared to November 2012 indicating popularity
of the bargain manufacturer continues to grow. This is a trend that shows no signs of letting up, according to figures.

French car group Renault bought the Romanian car-maker in 1999 as its ‘budget’ brand. Renault itself saw motor sales slip by 20,000 this year with Dacia more than plugging this fall.

Dacia prices start from just £5,995 for a basic Access Sandero, while it Lauréate, its top-end Sandero costs £7,995.

In April, it launched the Logan MCV (Maximum Capacity Vehicle) which is available from £6,995. It also launched its Duster – a 4x4 with a starting price of just £8,995.

Dacia motors may be described by many as an ‘A-to-B’ car, but it appears to be appealing to motorists looking for a cheap brand new vehicle - and with frugal engines, it is also attracting those looking to slash petrol costs.

Popular bargains: The Duster, pictured, starts at £8,995 making the cheapest new 4x4 available

The 21.1 per cent European growth is well above the second-place finishers, Jaguar and Mazda, who each showed impressive 15.6 per cent increases.

Both of these manufacturers also fared well in the separate SMMT data, with growth in British sales of 16.6 and 18.1 per cent respectively.

The success of the Dacia could be down to middle market car sales stagnating. For instance, sales of Ford, Volkswagen and Fiat vehicles were down by 4.6, 5.4 and 2 per cent respectively in 2013 according to the EAMA statistics.

A growing number of motorists appear to be either upgrading to more luxurious brands like BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes – or cutting back costs by snapping up cheaper motors such as the Dacia, Seat and Skoda, all of which saw healthy growth this year.

Sales list: Taken from EAMA, it shows which manufacturers were the winners and losers when it came to sales in Europe this year

Arnaud Deboeuf, an executive at Renault, said: ‘There’s been a change in buying attitudes in Europe. People don’t want to spend so much money on a car now.’

Carlos da Silva, an analyst at IHS Automotive, said a key reason for Dacia’s success in Western Europe was that it had created a new class of customers.

He said those who would previous have ‘bought a five-year-old car, now can get a new car for the same price.’

The data from EAMA found that from January to November – the latest figures - the most significant markets shrank, leading to a 2.7 per cent decline in EU car sales.

The downturn has ranged from -4.9 per cent in Germany, -7.1 per cent in France and -7.7 per cent in Italy. Spain saw modest growth of 2.1 per cent while the UK has continued to soar ahead.

Sales were up 9.9 per cent in Britain compared to last year, with more than 2.1million new motors being sold.

HOW ARE NEW DACIA CARS SO CHEAP?

Dacia spends small on marketing while
the distribution costs are low due to the fact they are sold through
existing Renault dealerships.

A huge part of keeping down costs is production. None of the models sold in Western Europe are made there.

Mainly, cars are made in Romania, with low-cost labour and relatively cheap costs of transporting the vehicles.

The
Sandero, Sandero Stepway and Logan MCV motors that end up in Britain
are built in Pitesti, Romania according to its website – but the UK
versions of the Duster are built at a Renault-Nissan Alliance factory in
Chennai, India.

The
entry level motors are also basic. For instance, the cheapest Sandero
only comes in white and doesn’t come with a stereo – although it does
come with the wiring to enable stereos to be fitted.

BRITISH CAR PRODUCTION ON COURSE FOR BEST YEAR SINCE 2007

Car production slowed last month but is still on course for its best year since 2007.

A total of 137,624 cars were manufactured in the UK in November 2013 - a 3.6 per cent dip on the November 2012 figure, the SMMT said.

Despite last month's fall the total number of cars produced in the first 11 months of this year is up 4.5 per cent at more than 1.42million.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: 'A number of mass-market manufacturers have this year used November to prepare their production lines for new models, so volumes dropped.

'However, the forthcoming new models will play an integral part in what is predicted to be an even stronger 2014 for UK car manufacturing.'